JuggernautBECOME UNSTOPPABLE2016-12-10T01:31:18Zhttp://www.jtsstrength.com/feed/atom/WordPressTeam Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=578482016-12-08T03:15:40Z2016-12-08T03:15:40ZFor the first time, Juggernaut will take an official USAW Club into competition and compete under the Team Juggernaut banner. This group of athletes are all coached by Max Aita and train at JuggernautHQ, as well as remote athletes all over the country. We are excited to introduce you to our scoring team for this […]

]]>For the first time, Juggernaut will take an official USAW Club into competition and compete under the Team Juggernaut banner. This group of athletes are all coached by Max Aita and train at JuggernautHQ, as well as remote athletes all over the country. We are excited to introduce you to our scoring team for this weekend:

48kg Women

Alyssa Ritchey, a name well known in CrossFit and Grid circles, has turned her attention full-time to weightlifting and is about to make her name very well known there. At the 2015 Arnold, Alyssa posted a 170kg total at 53kg opening a lot of eyes, but now under the guidance of Coach Aita, she has posted a 178kg as a light 53kg in qualifying for the AO and with plenty of hard work and guidance from our friends at RP, she is looking lean and ready to make big waves in the 48kg class. At the AO, expect Alyssa to add her name to the list of American Women to have Clean & Jerked double bodyweight.

Alyssa has gotten shredded under the guidance of RP and is going to make lot of noise in the 48kg class.

53kg Women

In the 53kg class, the leader of the Team Juggernaut women, Cortney Batchelor, is seeded #1 with a 180kg entry total. We are very excited about Cortney’s progress technically, mentally and in her strength since moving to Orange Country to train full-time at JuggernautHQ in September. Cortney will be looking to add to her American Record snatch and put up the kind of clean and jerk you’d expect to see from her amazing recent squatting efforts like this 150kg x3 at just over 54kg bodyweight:

In the 63A session, new Juggernaut athlete Kristin Pope, will take the platform. Kristin has come to JuggernautHQ for two training camps in the past few months and will be relocating from Georgia to Orange County to train here full time. Kristin has made a lot of progress in her leg strength and technique under Coach Aita and we are looking forward to her making a solid scoring performance in the 63 class and building momentum towards future meets.

69kg Women

We have two members of our scoring team in the 69kg Women’s class, Jilly Jaworske and Nicole Capurso. Both remote athletes under Coach Aita, Jilly and Nicole have been making strong progress. Jilly is an experienced competitor out of San Antonio, TX and will be lifting in the A session. We are excited at the prospect of her making a full-time move to Southern California soon.

Nicole Capurso competed in the Team Division of the 2016 CrossFit Games and is a Grid competitor. Nicole has made massive improvements in her leg strength under Coach Aita and is primed for PRs all around.

90kg Women

The final competitors on the scoring roster for Team Juggernaut, will be Quiana Welch and Maika Goodwin in the 90kg class. Q, a remote athlete out of Reno, NV, is relatively new to Weightlifting, with only 1 meet under her belt but has snatched over 100kg several times in training, including 102kg as part of the CrossFit Liftoff. Maika trains at our sister gym, Max’s Gym in Oakland, CA under the guidance of Jo Ann Aita.

The Team Juggernaut Women’s squad is rounded out by:

Jo Ann Aita, 58kg

Megan Farrell, 69kg

Leslie Macedo, 69kg

Sarah Loogman, 69kg

Laura Barito, 75kg

56kg Men

Leading things off for the Juggernaut Men is Michael Fox, the 2014 National Champion, has looked stellar in recent training, several times surpassing the American Records in both lifts. We look for Mike to get our Men’s team off to a strong start.

Jonathan Mendoza will represent Juggernaut in the 62kg Class. He comes in ranked in 10th by entry total and will be relied upon to be a solid point scorer for us. Undoubtedly, Jon will have the best hair of the competition.

The 85kg class is a stronghold for Team Juggernaut with 2 potential podium finishers in Anthony Pomponio and Travis Cooper. Pomp has flourished under Coach Aita since moving home to Southern California in June, including posting a lifetime PR total of 342kg at the Caffeine & Kilos Invitational in September.

Travis Cooper is one of the most decorated and experienced lifters in all of USAW. A recent move from North Carolina to Rhode Island has set his training back a bit, but we all know that Travis is a consomate competitor and will bring a strong performance to the platform.

94kg Men

Our team is rounded out by a strong duo in the 94kg class. Leading the way is 2014 National Champion Colin Burns. Colin moved to JuggernautHQ from the Olympic Training Center in September and has looked strong throughout training including snatching 173kg during a competition in Finland. Often considered a ‘Snatch Specialist’ Colin has made great strides in his leg strength and the Clean & Jerk, with multiple Clean & Jerks over 200kg in training and a 207kg Clean. Look for a statement performance from Colin.

Competing in his first national level meet will be James Townsend. You may know James aka @youngtonym from his incredible exploits on Instagram including massive hang snatches, 63″ box jumps and more. James has been battling some injuries but should place in the Top 10 of the 94kg class. We are excited to see his growth as a lifter.

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=578322016-12-06T16:56:42Z2016-12-06T16:56:42ZCheck out the previous installments of this series: Exercise Classification, Transfer of Training, Athlete Adaptation Profiles. Right off the bat, I want to make the reader aware of one critical fact; Dr. Bondarchuk has 32; yes, 32 defined periodization models. I wanted to put that out there because this essay is intended to be only a primer […]

Right off the bat, I want to make the reader aware of one critical fact; Dr. Bondarchuk has 32; yes, 32 defined periodization models. I wanted to put that out there because this essay is intended to be only a primer on a select few of Dr. B’s periodization models. I will by no means attempt due justice for all of these schemes in anything less than a full book. So as you proceed here, be aware of several facts in relationship to these 32 models of periodization.

Yes, 32 is a ton. In many cases, only slight differences distinguish one model from another.

The reason for all of these models is simple; training at an elite level is highly nuanced.

Individualized preparation models are inherent in any sport, not only track and field.

We will tackle only 3 of his most commonly used periodization models.

With that out of the way, let’s proceed with a description and some examples of Dr. Bondarchuk’s most commonly used methods.

Complex Method –

This is one of the foundational periodization schemes in the Bondarchuk system. What you get with the complex method is a vanilla, purely Bondarchuk*, repetitive system of training. One system or complex of exercises is implemented and used until the athlete has entered sports form. Period. There is little to no change in any of the exercises or training means. As a coach looking at this model you are trying to get the athlete to enter sports form in the fewest number of training sessions as possible. From a scientific point of view, this set-up is beneficial for several reasons;

Limiting the amount of change during the training block helps to more accurately determine the effects of the means used. For example, if you as a coach change the weight on an exercise every session (as in progressive overload) and then change out the exercises every week, it’s pretty much impossible to know whether the load selection or exercise selection contributed more to the results you see. It could be, indeed is likely to be, any number of factors. When only one thing changes however, as in the Bondarchuk system, it is much easier to ascribe success in training to a specific factor. In statistics this is known as reducing the “noisiness” of a data set to avoid making inaccurate or false assumptions.

In the Bondarchuk system, exercises in the special development stage of training are selected with the intent of honing sport skill. When the athlete performs these types of specialized, specific, highly technical movements repeatedly with no change in load or volume, profound gains in sport performance are observed. Work on the subject of motor learning by Bernstein in the 1900’s was a profound influence on Dr. Bondarchuk in this regard and helped shape the idea behind the complex method

* When I say purely Bondarchuk, what I mean is this. Dr. B doesn’t subscribe to the traditional model of eastern bloc periodization in the form of waving volume and intensity. He believes that volume and intensity should remain constant throughout the training cycle. The only variable that changes is the exercise complex. This makes the training monotonous, repetitive, and vanilla in comparison to the revolving accumulation, intensification, and peaking phases in traditional eastern bloc periodization.

You may be thinking at this point, “What if the athlete looks like garbage at the end of the cycle and I’ve wasted the whole 8 weeks?” Therein lies the gamble, and in my opinion, the main drawback of the complex method. You really don’t know how the athlete will adapt. But isn’t that true of any training program? At least with this one, you know exactly what you’re getting, and you are not randomly flinging shit at the wall and hoping something sticks. As would be the case with the idea that you have to change training every week or so to “confuse” the muscles into adapting.

There are ways to mitigate the risk of wasting a complex cycle. These come in the form of knowing where in your calendar of competition you are, knowing the athlete’s specific needs (speed, strength, balance, coordination, etc.), and planning accordingly with test exercises to monitor progress.

Below I have included a basic example of a general strength directed Complex Method program for a speed strength athlete (football/basketball player).

PROGRAM

Special Preparatory Period – Strength Speed Emphasis

Indicates Test Exercises

Exercise

Intensity

Reps

Sets

Rest

Squat Jump

50 kg.

6 (check Velocity)

3

3-5 min.

Short Sprints

High

1 (15 yds.)

3

3-5 min.

Quarter Squats

80% 1RM

5

3

3-5 min.

Bench Press

100 kg.

12

3

1-2 min.

Back Extension

20 kg.

10

2

1 min.

Glute Ham Raise

Low

10

2

1 min.

Shoulder Press

60 kg.

10

3

1 min.

Bicep Curl

Low

20

2

1 min.

Dips (weighted)

20 kg.

20

2

1 min.

Sit Ups (Russian)

Low

20

5

1 min.

SCHEDULE OF TRAINING

Mon. – Session 1

Tues. – Session 2

Wed. – Session 3

Thurs. – Session 4

Fri. – Session 5

Sat. – Session 6

Sun. – Rest day

Variation Method –

In contrast to the complex method (or in addition to it, depending on how you look at them) the variation method prolongs or extends the period of developing sports form. As in the complex method, the means of training do not change (sets, reps, intensity), but the actual system of exercises DOES change. Meaning that an additional complex of exercises is added. There must be at least two complexes, but there can be more than two as well. This means that the total number of sessions required to reach sports form doubles. A basic math example is instructive;

Variation method: 100 sessions to reach sports form

Complex 1 = 50 sessions to sports form

Complex 2 = 50 sessions to sports form

Total time to peak condition = 100 sessions

So you may be asking yourself, “What’s the difference between the variation method and just doing 2 complex methods back to back?” An excellent question. The difference is that half way through training each complex of exercises, the complex switches. So below I have illustrated an example of how this is to be carried out on a session to session basis.

Variation Method: 100 sessions to reach sports form

Sess. 1-25Complex 1 (part a) – 25 sessions

Sess. 26-50Complex 2 (part a) – 25 sessions

Sess. 51-75Complex 1 (part b) – 25 sessions

Sess. 76-100Complex 2 (part b) – 25 sessions

So as you can see the training takes a total of 100 sessions, but you get the combined effect of the two complexes of exercises. As a general rule, the variation method is used when entering sports form is not imperative in the short term. For example, during periods of general preparation or maintaining fitness during the competitive season. This makes it a valuable tool for team sport coaches and those who work in track and field as the competition calendar can be very long and peaking frequently could lead to decreased results in a meet. For team sport athletes, this model is a great fit. Being able to improve and perfect tactical skill is the priority through the majority of the calendar year in many team sports. This means that in terms of “stress balance”, tactical work takes priority in selecting loads. Pushing physical capacities too hard in-season will take away from adaptive reserves needed to improve sport skill. With the variation method, you maintain the previously obtained level of fitness from the off-season, and are able to focus on acquiring higher levels of skill.

Combined Methods –

In many of Dr. Bondarchuk’s books, the reader will find combined methods of periodization such as the “Variation-Complex Combined Method”. Inevitably a reader will see this and be left dumbfounded as to what this even means. Allow me to guide you through making sense of these combined methods. The reader should look at the name and follow through a calendar year of training in suite. For example, with the above method the first part of the calendar year would begin with training in the variation method. Once the athlete reaches sports form in all of the exercise complexes selected, the next evolution of training will utilize the complex method. This can be applied to team sports quite readily. Take American football for example. During the off-season, long term adaptations are being built and worked on using the variation method. Once spring ball begins, the complex method is used to achieve peak condition before the athletes leave for the summer. Or in baseball, the athletes use the variation method during the off-season and then the complex method during spring training.

This type of thinking is to be used for comprehending other, more nuanced, periodization models in Dr. Bondarchuk’s work. For example, the “Stage Combined Complex-Variation Method”. The reader would understand that for each stage (general prep and special prep) there is a complex method and a variation method.

Conclusion –

This concludes the article series on making sense of Bondarchuk. I hope the reader found this brief series helpful in digesting some of the main points in the system of one of history’s greatest coaches. As I have said before, by all means feel free to contact me with any questions you have. I have said before and I’ll say again, if I don’t know the answer to your question I can call Dr. Bondarchuk directly or reach out to one of many other resources available to dig up the answers you seek. Thank you for reading and best of luck in your sport pursuits.

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=574522016-11-24T14:01:41Z2016-11-24T14:01:41ZChad, Max and Quinn bring you another episode of Squat School in which we dissect the technique and movement of Juggernaut athletes’ squats. In this episode we discuss Colin Burns’ 220kg/484# x2 Front Squat PR and what has helped Colin’s front squat progress over the last year:

]]>Chad, Max and Quinn bring you another episode of Squat School in which we dissect the technique and movement of Juggernaut athletes’ squats. In this episode we discuss Colin Burns’ 220kg/484# x2 Front Squat PR and what has helped Colin’s front squat progress over the last year:

]]>1Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=574122016-11-22T23:25:00Z2016-11-22T23:25:00ZButt wink is often debated in regards to squatting. Is it dangerous? Why does it happen? How should you avoid it? Dr. Quinn Henoch of JTS and ClinicalAthlete.com is here to answer all these important questions for you:

]]>Butt wink is often debated in regards to squatting. Is it dangerous? Why does it happen? How should you avoid it? Dr. Quinn Henoch of JTS and ClinicalAthlete.com is here to answer all these important questions for you:

]]>2Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=570522016-11-15T23:14:40Z2016-11-15T23:14:40ZStrong legs are critical to success as a weightlifter but since the squat isn’t a competitive movement in their sport, a big squat for big squats sake probably isn’t the best strategy for an athlete who also needs to develop great speed and technique while effectively managing fatigue. Juggernaut Weightlifting Head Coach Max Aita goes […]

]]>Strong legs are critical to success as a weightlifter but since the squat isn’t a competitive movement in their sport, a big squat for big squats sake probably isn’t the best strategy for an athlete who also needs to develop great speed and technique while effectively managing fatigue. Juggernaut Weightlifting Head Coach Max Aita goes in depth on developing leg strength for weightlifting and discusses why leg strength is important, can you have too much strength and more:

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=569532016-11-10T22:17:39Z2016-11-10T22:17:39ZChad and Max discuss Chad’s recent performance in Australia, goings on at JuggernautHQ and the value of the near win on this episode of The JuggLife Podcast:

]]>0Chad Wesley Smithhttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=568572016-11-09T15:08:14Z2016-11-09T15:08:14ZBig Dogs Recap I’ve been putting off writing this but I suppose it needs to be done. Quite simply, I lifted badly. This is the first time in my career that my training total has surpassed my competition total and I know part of the reason why but part of it is still leaving me […]

I’ve been putting off writing this but I suppose it needs to be done. Quite simply, I lifted badly. This is the first time in my career that my training total has surpassed my competition total and I know part of the reason why but part of it is still leaving me a bit confused and frustrated.

This was undoubtedly my best squat training cycle, making PRs of 365kg/804# x4, 380kg/838# x3, 400kg/882# x2 and 415kg/915# x1 in sleeves and 420kg/925# x1 and 430kg/948# x1 in wraps. Previous to my PR squat of 440kg/970#, my best training squat was 415kg/915#, so I knew that I should have been in shape for a big PR. Unfortunately, that plan got a bit derailed on the last rep of my last heavy training session on Oct 14 when I suffered a quad injury on a set with 420kg/925#. It wasn’t a severe injury, just felt several pops in the lateral quad while coming out of the hole and had the spotters take it. Through the time before the meet, I worked with my great support team (Dr. Quinn-PT, Dr. Joe-Chiro/Graston and Elyssa-Massage) along with doing a lot of slow eccentric squatting to help heal the tissue and I felt strong the day of the meet through warmups, with my last warmup at 395kg. On my 420kg opener I felt strong, though pain in the quad went from probably a 2 to a 5 and then the issue became my head. I went to my planned 2nd of 445kg/981# but throughout the descent (which was much slower than usual) couldn’t get the idea of ‘am I about to get injured?’ out of my head and I missed the lift out of the hole and increased the pain in my left quad. I retook the weight for a 3rd attempt and while I did a better job of descending with confidence, when I reversed the weight, I just couldn’t push the way I needed-which in many ways I think was just my brain protecting my body. A very frustrating start to the day.

On to the bench, my bench training cycle was very up and down, with lots of elbow/forearm pain hampering me during the early training but a great finish to things with a smooth 260kg/573# lifetime PR on Oct 12th. Warmups felt good, not great and after a solid opener at 245kg/540#, I jumped to the lower end of my planned 2nds at 255kg/562#. I missed this very near lockout and then was informed by the judges, that had I made it, would have been redlighted for a heave. This isn’t a call I necessarily agreed with or saw in the video, as I felt that it looked the same as my opener and other benches at Pro Raw and in the USPA but with this in my head on my 3rd attempt, a retry at 255kg, I was very conscience of avoiding the same issue, which basically eliminated my leg drive and any chance of making the lift. At this point, I was pretty dejected at the day, knowing that 2nd place and $10k AUD was now very likely out of reach and that my place in 3rd was basically cemented, barring disaster on my part or massive PRs by others.

The deadlift I took my planned opener and 2nd of 345kg/760# and 365kg/804# (made that 2-1 and probably got a bit of a gift). Was going to pass my 3rd attempt but figured to give 372.5kg/821# a shot for a small PR. My deadlift training cycle was good for awhile and then I hurt my back about halfway through and really just let myself become lazy in training that lift, with the excuse of protecting my back from more injury but the reality was I just didn’t train it as hard as I should have.

I’m still at a bit of a loss trying to figure out the bench issue, as I expected to be taking 265kg/584# on a my 3rd attempt. Could it be travel related? Yes, but considering my 2 best totals are both in Australia, I don’t like that as an excuse, though I had 1 less day to acclimate on this trip than I did at Pro Raw 7. Could it have been that I didn’t have enough volume in my Peaking Block and Taper to maintain my fitness, possibly and that’s the most likely thing I see at this point. Whatever the problems of this meet were, injury, poor planning, lack of effort, etc I’m going to continue to do my best to identify and rectify them moving forward towards the 1100kg total that I know I’m capable of.

Thank you again to Emad and Markos for organizing such a great meet. Congrats to Shawn Doyle, Andrey Malanichev and everyone on their strong performances. Thank you to all the fans here in Australia and on Social Media for the encouragement. Most of all thanks to Marisa, Max, Pomp, Colin, Cortney, Zack, Liz, Josie and everyone at JuggHQ for their support throughout all the training. I’m figuring out what is next and I’m bringing everything I’ve got for it. #JuggLife

Thanks to Team Juggernaut Weightlifter, Cortney Batchelor, for making this awesome singlet. Check her out at @TheSnortLifeSinglets on Instagram.

With a bad performance comes a crossroads for a competitor, an opportunity to make excuses or find the reasons you didn’t perform better, take ownership of the performance and do what you can to fix the problem moving forward.

This is a key moment in achieving long term competitive success, as it is critical for a competitor and/or coach to be able to critically evaluate performances, understand what was done well and understand what needs to be improved. In regards to this meet for myself, there are 3 main things that I feel I could have done better in preparation and competition.

1-Set The Ego Aside, Listen To Yourself and Stay Healthy

As stated above, I suffered a quad injury during the last rep of my last heavy squat session, 2 weeks before the competition. While I didn’t feel any indications of an oncoming injury during the training, I do feel like I could have prevented things. My last heavy squat day was done while Marisa and I were in Atlanta for her to compete (and win) at USAPL Nationals. I don’t like to give travel as a reason for poor performance but the combination of travel and accumulated fatigue into the final day of overload training, I just didn’t feel sharp the whole session. As I readied to take my heaviest squat in sleeves (a backdown after a top set of 440kg in wraps), I thought to myself ‘skip this set, you don’t feel your best, the needed hard work is done, just call it a day’ but since I was in a gym with about 50 other people, I let my ego get the best of them and try to put on a show and because of that felt about 10 pops in my left quad as I came out of the hole with 420kg. That is a set I should have skipped, I should have listened to my own intuition but I tried to impress the gym and it cost me.

2-Work Harder

I didn’t train hard enough in the bench and deadlift to have the meet I needed to. While I had some very positive moments in my bench training, including a 260kg/573# lifetime PR, my volume throughout the training cycle wasn’t consistent enough to peak properly. My arms get very sore from squat training and I let that be an excuse for not pushing my bench training harder, so when there are days that my arms hurt, I need to be more diligent in finding workarounds to still get quality work done. About 10 weeks prior to competition, I hurt my back going for the 2nd rep of a double with 350kg/771#. The next day, I couldn’t get out of bed and when I tried to walk, I fell to my knees in pain after only a few steps. I was certain that I’d suffered another disc injury and was very dejected. Thankfully with the help of Dr. Quinn, Dr. Joe and Elyssa, I was able to make a quick return to training but from that point forward I just didn’t push my deadlift training as I needed to for maximum performance. I let my back injury be an excuse for not training the deadlift hard enough. That can’t happen again because my back was fine, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t have hit so many squat PRs.

3-Stay Engaged Mentally

Everyone comes into a competition with certain expectations of themselves and when you don’t meet those expectations, it is easy to lose focus. I came into Big Dogs with expectations of a huge squat and when that didn’t happen, I lost my focus and became complacent on the day. I let myself be filled with negativity about the day and my attitude and body language showed it. I gave negative energy from the squat issues power and while I could have/should have been able to go on to make bench and deadlift PRs, I didn’t. Some days aren’t going to go to your expectations but until the meet is over, there are still positives goals to strive for. Treat each lift as an individual effort, give it your entire focus and don’t let one bad lift turn into a bad day.

]]>2Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=567122016-11-07T00:34:57Z2016-11-07T00:34:57ZThere is prevalent information available online in regards to squat technique. We think its important to share with you our collective knowledge about the topic. This knowledge comes not just from formal education (Dr. Quinn’s DPT training and countless reading from Max and Chad) it is also based in our practical knowledge of decades of […]

]]>There is prevalent information available online in regards to squat technique. We think its important to share with you our collective knowledge about the topic. This knowledge comes not just from formal education (Dr. Quinn’s DPT training and countless reading from Max and Chad) it is also based in our practical knowledge of decades of heavy squatting (440kg @ SHW for Chad and 337.5kg @ 100kg for Max plus 3x BW Front Squat) and our extensive and impressive roster of athletes we have coached. Please that into account these type of credentials when you are assessing whom you listen to about training topics.

With that being said, we bring you Episode 1 of Squat School, a series in which we will break down the squat technique of athletes we work closely with (as well as eventually fan videos) to show you what is good, what can be improved and how we can improve it. Enjoy!

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=567092016-11-03T07:35:26Z2016-11-03T07:35:26ZMax sits down with Juggernaut weightlifters, Colin Burns, Cortney Batchelor and Anthony Pomponio to discuss their week of training. This episode of Week In Review focuses particularly on the development of Jerk Technique:

]]>Max sits down with Juggernaut weightlifters, Colin Burns, Cortney Batchelor and Anthony Pomponio to discuss their week of training. This episode of Week In Review focuses particularly on the development of Jerk Technique:

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=562972016-10-17T20:28:51Z2016-10-17T20:28:51ZWe are beginning a new video series to give you some insight into the technical direction of our Weightlifters under the guidance of Coach Max Aita. Here is the first installment of our Week In Review series. In this video, Max discusses the technical corrections we are making with remote athletes Quiana Welch and Nicole […]

]]>We are beginning a new video series to give you some insight into the technical direction of our Weightlifters under the guidance of Coach Max Aita. Here is the first installment of our Week In Review series. In this video, Max discusses the technical corrections we are making with remote athletes Quiana Welch and Nicole Capurso, plus some of the training of JuggernautHQ athletes like Anthony Pomponio:

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=558082016-10-11T16:18:21Z2016-10-11T16:18:21ZWhat dictates the adjustments that are made to training programs? Size, Strength, Gender/Hormones, Proximity to Career Peak and Muscle Fiber Type are all important to consider when making adjustments to a training program, along with other Inter and Intra-individual Differences.

]]>What dictates the adjustments that are made to training programs? Size, Strength, Gender/Hormones, Proximity to Career Peak and Muscle Fiber Type are all important to consider when making adjustments to a training program, along with other Inter and Intra-individual Differences.

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=553862016-10-03T21:31:42Z2016-10-03T21:31:42ZDoes Static Stretching enhance performance? Reduce injury? Improve recovery? Dr. Quinn Henoch is here to explain what static stretching does and how it can best be utilized in your training:

]]>1Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=552612016-09-30T22:44:57Z2016-09-30T22:44:57ZChad Wesley Smith continues his series on the Scientific Principles of Strength Training with the 6th ranked principle, Phase Potentiation. Phase Potentiation is the strategic sequencing of programming phases to increase the potential of subsequent phases and increase long term adaptive potential.

]]>Chad Wesley Smith continues his series on the Scientific Principles of Strength Training with the 6th ranked principle, Phase Potentiation. Phase Potentiation is the strategic sequencing of programming phases to increase the potential of subsequent phases and increase long term adaptive potential.

]]>2Thomas Lilleyhttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=550302016-09-26T01:42:57Z2016-09-26T01:42:57ZWhat’s the best program for you? I am always perplexed by this idea that programming is some sort of magic trick. This notion that, if you find the right program for you, you will unlock a new level of strength and performance. Don’t get me wrong, programming is important. Really important. But it’s far from […]

]]>What’s the best program for you? I am always perplexed by this idea that programming is some sort of magic trick. This notion that, if you find the right program for you, you will unlock a new level of strength and performance. Don’t get me wrong, programming is important. Really important. But it’s far from the be all and end all in strength improvement and performance. Rather, it’s a cog in the engine that drives the strength machine. An essential component of a working system.

Breaking down that system into its individual components, we find several key ingredients that form the recipe for strength, including:

Technique development

Programming

Nutrition

Rest/recovery

Physical therapy, such as muscle release and mobility

The above factors work together towards overall strength improvement. Inconsistency in one area can be at the detriment of other areas, or the system as a whole. That recipe is several articles in and of itself. This piece will focus on programming.

I’ll keep this short and sweet by breaking it down into some key factors you should look for in programming:

Goal-based Specificity

Firstly, the program you use should be aimed towards achieving a specific goal. A powerlifting program should work towards getting you as strong as possible when doing 1 rep of a squat, bench press and deadlift. Every component of the program should serve a purpose towards that goal. You should be able to clearly justify why you are doing everything you are doing.

If you’re working with a coach for the program, they should be able to justify why you’re doing what you’re doing. Remember, you’re a customer, you’ve paid for a service – if you have questions or concerns, raise them. If the coach cannot adequately explain to you the reasoning behind the program, then they fall short of your expectations.

Exercise Selection

There are many ways to skin a cat (terrible saying, I know). Multiple exercises can work toward the same goal. The exercises in your program should work towards your goal for that training cycle. That means addressing any weaknesses or shortfalls that may let you down as you approach your goal. The exercises you use to address such shortfalls can be important. Again, this is about return on investment. It’s important to use the exercises that will yield the highest return.

An example here will help: Let’s say we have a lifter who loses back tightness in a deadlift, rounding through the lumbar, due to a weakness in stabilizing through the trunk. Their abs and obliques are strong, but their erectors are weak. The lifter is in a peaking cycle for a competition. We have 3 options here: Back extensions, good mornings or deficit deadlifts. All three work the lacking area. What do we choose?

Back extensions isolate the erectors, so are a good way to target the area directly.

Good mornings allow the creation of a rigid torso through a plane of hip flexion, which makes them more specific than extensions, and therefore potentially a better choice.

Deficit deadlifts, performed with a weight light enough to prevent the technical breakdown, allow the creation of a rigid torso, through an extended range of the exact movement where the breakdown occurs. This is the most specific of the three choices, and is therefore likely the best choice, especially given the limited time frame with an impending competition.

If you’re running things yourself, make sure you choose exercises that are best suited towards your goals. If you’re paying a coach, they should be able to explain the exercises you’ve been given and why.

Logical Progression

Nobodies’ goal is to get weaker. Whilst the formula for getting stronger isn’t necessarily exact, there are some defined rules. There are things we know about programming that lend themselves to strength improvement. We know what sort of reps we should be doing at what percentage and when. We understand the detriment of doing too much or too little. We know how to ramp up and deload for a peak, to prepare ourselves for a strength test or competition. These things are documented elsewhere in detail.

The point here is that, to get stronger, there must be a logical, structured progression across the period of a training cycle. If you’re programming for yourself, it would be best to have at least some idea of how to create that structure. If you’ve hired a coach, they should be able to explain it to you.

Now, what about individual considerations? Does every individual require a unique program, tailored specifically for him or her? Based on what we’ve covered here, the answer is – not really. Remember, programming is not a magic trick. Science has shown us what works and what doesn’t. There are always going to be individual differences regarding technique development, and the exercises to support that. Autoregulation within programming will always occur at different rates as well. Template programs, with a good backing and proven results are fantastic tools for lifters and coaches, when used correctly.

So, how is a template used correctly?

Well, if you’re working with a coach through the entire process, the individualization should come from technique adjustment, specific exercises to train individual weaknesses and guidance with autoregulation. If you’re using a template by yourself, wherever you got that template from should give instructions on where and why individualization and autoregulation can occur, or where it should not. Too often I see people playing the blame game, cursing coaches or programs for not working, to which delving deeper into the situation often reveals that important processes in the program were not adhered to.

Remember, the time and money you dedicate towards your training is important. Bet on the sure thing. If you’re unsure about programming, educated yourself or work with someone reliable and knowledgeable who can do the work for you.

]]>1Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=550502016-09-23T16:29:31Z2016-09-23T16:29:31ZThe Renaissance Periodization Training Templates for Hypertrophy, Strength and Peaking have helped hundreds of athletes improve their training. Their creator, Dr. Mike Israetel discuss the benefits and shortcomings of their design: Check out the Templates for yourself:

]]>The Renaissance Periodization Training Templates for Hypertrophy, Strength and Peaking have helped hundreds of athletes improve their training. Their creator, Dr. Mike Israetel discuss the benefits and shortcomings of their design:

]]>0Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=550482016-09-19T21:46:05Z2016-09-19T21:46:05ZFoam rolling is one of the most popular mobility modalities used by athletes of all-types as a means to warmup, decrease soreness and improve movement, but what is it really doing? Dr. Quinn Henoch is here to discuss the actual mechanisms of foam rolling and how it can be best implemented into your training:

]]>Foam rolling is one of the most popular mobility modalities used by athletes of all-types as a means to warmup, decrease soreness and improve movement, but what is it really doing? Dr. Quinn Henoch is here to discuss the actual mechanisms of foam rolling and how it can be best implemented into your training:

]]>2Team Juggernauthttp://www.jtsstrength.com/?p=550452016-09-14T16:11:44Z2016-09-14T16:11:44ZThe jerk is the most missed lift in the sport of Weightlifting, but often gets too little attention when addressing technical development. Max Aita and 2015 85kg National Champion Anthony Pomponio take you step by step through how Juggernaut Weightlifting teaches The Jerk:

]]>The jerk is the most missed lift in the sport of Weightlifting, but often gets too little attention when addressing technical development. Max Aita and 2015 85kg National Champion Anthony Pomponio take you step by step through how Juggernaut Weightlifting teaches The Jerk: